What's New: The news for the 2014 model of this driver-pleasing compact crossover is that Touring and Grand Touring models, whether front- or all-wheel-drive, now use the 184-hp, 2.5-liter inline-four that also powers the new Mazda6 sedan. In the CX-5, it adds a useful 29 hp and 35 lb-ft of output over the previous generation. The 2.0-liter engine is now relegated to the basic Sport trim level and retains the option of automatic or manual gearboxes, while the 2.5-liter CX-5 mates only to the Mazda-built six-speed automatic transmission, another piece of Mazda's Skyactiv technology suite. The trans plows new, middle ground between traditional automatic technology and modern dual-clutch transmissions, employing a small torque converter and a large clutch to provide smoother shifts than most dual-clutch designs, and better fuel efficiency than conventional automatics. The new 2.5-liter models lose only 1 mpg compared with the 2.0-liter with this automatic. However, the top rating still goes to the smaller engine mated with a six-speed manual, at 35 mpg highway.

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Tech Tidbit: The 2.5-liter isn't just a bored-out or stroked version of the 2.0-liter, though it shares attributes such as a high, 13:1 compression ratio, direct injection, 4-2-1 exhaust header, and a similar combustion-chamber design. The likeness extends to a bore/stroke ratio of approximately 0.9:1 (the 2.5-liter measures in at 0.89, the 2.0-liter at 0.92). In the 2.5-liter, the cylinder-bore centers are farther apart, and the entire block is larger, made possible because Mazda manufactures the engines using off-the-shelf four-axis CNC milling machines instead of traditional dedicated tooling. That process allows for a 75 percent reduction in cost. And though individual CNC operations are slower, Mazda has reduced the number of machining stations from 45 to 4. Machining time per engine is down to 1.3 hours from the previous 6, half of which were spent transporting the block from station to station 44 times.

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Driving Character: The CX-5 set new standards for compact-CUV handling and driver enjoyment when it arrived last year, and the additional power of the 2.5-liter dispenses with the one performance complaint: modest acceleration. The 2.0-liter posted 0-to-60 mph times in the low 9s. Mazda claims the 2.5 can do the trick in 7.8, and though that seems optimistic (the manufacturer also claims 8.8 for the 2.0-liter/manual combo), it's solidly in the 8.0-second class. Competitors offering turbocharged or V-6 options still outrun the CX-5 in a straight line, but over challenging, twisting roads through Texas hill country outside Austin, the Grand Touring AWD model we sampled provided ample rewards to the enthusiastic driver, springing out of corners and up steep hills in a way that makes the 2.0-liter seem plodding.

The automatic is particularly adept at quick, crisp downshifts. Although the upshifts aren't as sharp, they're prompt even if you let the computer change gears instead of using the dedicated manual shift gate. Though the base architecture underpinning the CX-5 is shared with the Mazda6, CUV drivers don't get the paddle shifter or the manual gearbox offered with this engine in the sedan. As before, steering feel, handling balance, ride control, and braking feel are all beyond the norms for this class.

Depending on trim, the weight gain with the new engine is only about 100 pounds. While the 2000-pound tow rating is unchanged, the extra thrust makes the idea of using it to pull a lightweight trailer far more palatable. Our first exposure to the CX-5 was driving the diesel version currently sold overseas. If the pioneering effort to bring diesel power to the U.S. with the Mazda6 later this year pays off, the CX-5 could get the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D as well.

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Favorite Detail: Although the fully loaded example we drove was packed with electronic gewgaws, including a 5.8-inch touchscreen and a big fat console dial/mouse device, it was easy to adjust the radio volume and station and tweak the climate-control system with dedicated knobs and buttons. Kudos to designers in touch with real people and real-world driving.

Driver's Grievance: We're not fans of the TomTom-based nav system, which too often hides useful info (like the name of the street two blocks away). The $1625 Tech Package on the Grand Touring includes neat features such as adaptive lighting and auto-leveling HID headlamps, but in lesser models in which navigation is the primary lure, you might instead consider an accessory Garmin unit offered for installation at the port-of-entry. You might even prefer to let a smartphone handle this task.

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Bottom Line: With adequate power now in its quiver, the CX-5 may have one remaining weak point: occasional road-noise intrusion over particularly coarse road surfaces—particularly noticeable because the Mazda is usually quieter than many competitors. Its interior design is clean and functional, though perhaps a bit anodyne for the top-end models that push the price beyond $30,000. Our test car came in at $31,890, and the smaller, slower Buick Encore has more luxurious trimmings and accoutrements at that price, for example.

The CX-5 has no equal for driving enjoyment and all-around balance and charm, unless you really insist on accelerative thrills above all else. Little wonder that it has already become Mazda's second-best-selling model (behind the Mazda3) and won numerous awards. The 2013 model was a finalist in North American Truck of the Year voting but lost to the Ram pickup, which had the advantage of actually being a truck. Who knows what might have happened if the CX-5 had entered that derby with this extra half-liter of poke.

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